


Bait

by Aki_Saiko (saikowrites)



Series: Writober 2019 [3]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akira hitting on Akechi as smooth as Chloe Price, Bait, Coffee chat, How many tags does this ship have jeez, Inktober 2019, It's ShuAke anyway, It's the I dare you to kiss me scene from LIS, M/M, Missing Moments, Mixed feelings ShuAke is best ShuAke, Writober 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-11-23 02:13:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20884469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saikowrites/pseuds/Aki_Saiko
Summary: "A sense of foreignness had never left him since then, only growing the more he deepened his bond with him. Akechi knows he will betray them; he will betrayhim. Keeping his distance from him, too, had always been the wiser choice. But he doesn’t care. They said, ‘keep your friends close and your enemies closer’. And Kurusu Akira was the closest Akechi has ever allowed someone get to him."WRITOBER 2019 | Day 3: Bait | Based on the official Inktober 2019 prompt list.





	Bait

**Author's Note:**

> This thing turned out at least 700 words longer than expected but. Boi. How much did I wanted to write this.  
For the ones who haven't played Life is Strange episode 3 yet (like, you what? seriously? it's 2019 already go play the game is very mindfucking but beautiful??) this fic might be a light spoiler but nothing too serious. I will post a link to the scene in question that I'll cite in the end note, so if you don't want to see it, you can skip it.

The train approaches the platform, causes a cold breeze to rise and sting Akechi’s cheeks, dry his eyes. He tilts his head to the right to say something, but Akira’s gaze is unfocused, his mind lost deep in thought. He doesn’t wear Joker’s scheming face, but Akechi knows Akira’s wild imagination is not to underestimate.

Because everything about Kurusu Akira is beyond every form of control, Akechi well learned that during the afternoons spent at Leblanc and their trip to the Metaverse. His frizzy and messy hair, his irregular week schedule, the way he talks weaving discussions word after word, following a train of thought that seems more like a spider web. Akira does his best to hide it, burying it behind his unneeded glasses and flawless school uniform, always meticulously worn.

But Akechi is no fool, he figured out something about him was out of the ordinary right after their first debate at the TV station, months before. He’s been right all the time and maybe that was the reason why, back in September, discovering that Kurusu Akira was nothing less than the Phantom Thief leader made sense to him in a certain, strange way. As if it was only natural.

A sense of foreignness had never left him since then, only growing the more he deepened his bond with him. Akechi knows he will betray them; he will betray _him_. Keeping his distance from him, too, had always been the wiser choice. But he doesn’t care. They said, ‘keep your friends close and your enemies closer’. And Kurusu Akira was the closest Akechi has ever allowed someone get to him.

Morgana puts a paw off the bag and taps Akira’s shoulder through his blazer, notifies him that the train has arrived. The boy snaps out of his thoughts and catches Akechi’s stare, fingers tormenting strands of his unruly fringe.

“I’m sorry, I asked you to come with me at the Airsoft Shop, but we didn’t find what we needed.”

“You don’t need to worry about that, since I joined your team I make sure to have some more free time in case of need.”

“We finished earlier than anticipated though. What about a cup of coffee? I’ll let you try it my way this time.”

Akechi fights back the urge to raise an eyebrow and offers his best tv smile instead. “Why not? It will be a pleasure. Thank you very much.” He hurries to follow the other boy on the crowded subway wagon, a hunch itching at the back of his head. Did Kurusu realize how strange it was hearing an invitation from him for something that wasn’t related to thievery? Did he know, and did it on purpose?

Akira is gazing outside the window, shoulder leaned against the door. Akechi can’t help a puzzled look; gets a smirk from Akira’s reflection in the glass in response. Definitely, he did it on purpose.

The ride to Yongen-Jaya is packed but short. They break free from the commuting traffic and walk through the calmer streets of the neighbourhood.

They arrive in front of Leblanc’s door and Akira freezes for a bit just before opening it.

“Mona” he says, getting the bag off of his back and placing it on the floor “I’m staying behind the counter for a while, I can’t let you wander around or Sojiro will kill me.”

Morgana jumps out, his tail swinging, a wary glimpse in his eyes. “Fine, I’ll stroll around a bit. Or, I might go to Futaba, too. But I’m coming back for dinner, you know.” He gets some rubs on his head and under his neck and sets out.

They enter the café, and there are no customers around. Sojiro is at his usual spot, smoking a cigarette with his arms crossed and a pensive expression on his face. He sees them and shakes it off, greets Akechi and ask him what he’ll have.

“I’m going to brew the coffee today, boss” Akira answers in his stead, already putting down his schoolbag and reaching for his apron.

Sojiro sighs but doesn’t fight back. “Only because he’s your friend. Oh, and brew some more for me, too. I’ll check your progress. As long as you don’t use the expensive beans.”

“No expensive beans without Sojiro’s permission, I know” he grins and ties the apron.

The man goes around the bar and sits next to Akechi, makes some small talk. Sojiro asks him about school and his work, the next tv interview, if Akira is behaving well. Akechi chuckles. “Perfectly fine, I can assure you. And, from what I’ve heard, he’s the only one Makoto doesn’t complain about when it comes to school grades and tests.”

He blinks towards Akira, who is busy pouring boiling water in the filter and pretends he doesn’t notice. The boy waits until the coffee is dark enough, takes two cups from under the counter, places them on the surface with a soft clink and pours the coffee.

Akechi concedes himself a moment to indulge in the piercing smell of freshly brewed coffee. He lightly spins the cup and lifts it to his lips. He blows only a bit and tastes the drink. It’s far less strong than Sojiro’s ones, but for this very reason, more of his linking. It’s gentler, as if lacking aggressiveness. He wouldn’t feel guilty asking for some sugar or cream to pair with this one.

Sojiro takes a sip as well, lets the flavour settle on his tongue and mumbles. “I still can’t sense some strong purpose and personality, but it’s good. You’re getting better kid; I can tell it for sure.”

Akira scratches the back of his neck and puts the hand back in his pocket. “Thank you.”

“So, degustation ended.” Sojiro gets up from the stool and heads towards the door. “I need to do some groceries and then I’ll come back for closing up. I’ll flip the sign to ‘closed’ so no one should come in so near closing time.” He waves a hand at Akechi, puts his hat on and exits.

Akechi returns his attention to coffee but Akira interrupts him. “You can ask for sugar or cream if you want now, you know.”

Akechi startles but does his best not to let it show. He raises an eyebrow.

“The coffee I brew for the Metaverse is darker than this and more intense, not too far from Sojiro’s one. You always drink it only if strictly necessary and take it very slowly. I figured out you might like sweeter and milder flavours.”

Akechi forces himself to chuckle. “I must accept your kind offer, then.”

How comes this boy is this good at reading him? Akechi can’t control everything about his body or his reactions, but he trained well over the years to make sure those were very few details, impossible to notice except for someone accustomed to it himself. Or, for someone with a very sharp intuition, apparently.

He pours the cream into the coffee, lets the two colours blend in a lighter shade of brown, the trace of a spiral not entirely gone.

He sips and searches for Akira’s gaze while the new combination settles in his mouth. He was right: this blend was a gentler one, and best accompanied with something sweet. His eyes close as he savours it.

“Must I take this as a compliment, then?” Akira mocks him from behind the counter.

Akechi’s eyes open wide but he doesn’t allow any other reaction to show. He says nothing and puts up a smile.

Akira whiffles and leans against the counter in front of him, chin in the palm of his hand. “You can let go sometimes, you know. There is no one here besides me, no reporter and no cameras.”

Akechi frowns, still silent. Spending time with Kurusu was intriguing: meaningful conversations, interesting insights and a lot of witty comebacks. And coffee, most of the time. But being read like this? Not what Akechi had hoped when he started deliberately trying to gain the other’s confidence. As much as he was always cautious about what to say, what to show and how close to him Kurusu could get, sometimes it felt like the other boy was steps ahead already.

“You’re one of the team now” Akira mutters “you can afford to take chances. Whenever and whatever you want to try.”

Akira spaces out for a moment. His fidgets curl tighter around his right cheek. He smirks and straightens.

“For example,” he says, eyes catching Akechi’s ones “I dare you to kiss me.”

Akechi doesn’t even try to mask his disbelief. “You what?”

“I double dare you. Kiss me now.”

So, this _wasn’t_ a simple coffee chat, it never has been. And Akechi knew that from the start. And, if he must be honest with himself at least _sometimes_, he could have refused. But he didn’t.

_It’s a bait. It’s nonsense. And it’s dangerous for the plan._

But he trusts himself enough with not being affected by some small unplanned circumstances like this. And besides, what is it like to see Kurusu’s face enlightened with sincere astonishment?

So, Akechi grins back. He grabs the other boy by the shoulder with his right hand, cups his jaw with his left and leans in to kiss him; the gasp from Akira onto his lips, clear and satisfying. If Akechi has come to know him enough by now, he could swear Akira placed a bet voicing his dare. It could have gone well; it could have gone bad. The thrill of gambling.

And Akira places his hand on Akechi’s one and kisses back, so, well, someone must have won the bet.

They part and Akechi can get a better sight of the other.

Akira is staring at him, mouth curved in a smile and still slightly open, cheeks flushed and absolute disbelief on his face, grey eyes wide and eager behind the glasses.

_Priceless._

**Author's Note:**

> @ dontnod bless you for giving us the ['I dare you to kiss me' ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7pUbiBlf4w)scene. I have a version of that for, like, every single one of my otps.
> 
> Previous work in the collection: Persona 5 - Post-Canon!Akira - Mindless  
Next one in the collection will be: Bravely Default - Edea/Agnes


End file.
